US authorities have said they are “hopeful” that a retrial for the murder of Irishman Jason Corbett can be scheduled for later this year.
Mr Corbett was beaten to death at his home in North Carolina by his wife, Molly, and his father-in-law, Thomas Martens, in August 2015.
Both claim they were acting in self-defence but a jury convicted them of second degree murder in 2017.
However, last year the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned the verdict and the pair were released.
A retrial is due to be held but the state faces a backlog of criminal cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no date has yet been set:
“He [the District Attorney] said they are trying to work out maybe a date in August to have this hearing,” Michael Hewlett of the Winston-Salem Journal told Newstalk.
“And he’s hoping that within the next week or so that date might be finalised.
“They’re hoping to have a hearing next month where attorneys would gather, they would be able to figure out a trial date.”
Mr Hewlett continued:
“He [the District Attorney] is hopeful that a trial could be held sometime this year.”
After his death, Mr Corbett’s two children returned to Ireland to be raised by their aunt.
